Women Participation and Decision Making Process in Community Forest Users Group {A case study Phulbari Community Forest Users Group of Sandhikharka VDC - 3 Arghakhanchi District, Nepal}

Abstract

Forest is one of the major sources of rural livelihood in Nepal. It is the sources of food, firewood, timber, fodder, leaves and litters etc. The rapidly increasing population growth and its subsequent effects on natural resources particularly forest resources has been noticing since long. For the better management and enhancing the forest resources the concept of community forest was emerged during 1970s in Nepal. The community forest is the forest handed over the local community on which they have the full authority to use, protect and manage community forest in their own way so that they can fulfill their basic needs for firewood, timber and other forest products in a sustainable manner. In the present context it is the most focused and prioritized program of the forestry sector to promote the forest situation in the country. Community forestry is an approach to forest management intended primarily to benefit the local users of forests. The community forestry program is aimed at community development and particularly at meeting the household needs of firewood, fodder and timber. Forest is managed and used mainly by women in rural Nepal and their role is increasing in their society. Thus, the ultimate managers and users of the forest are women. Basically, this study has been concentrated on the women Participation and decision making process in CFUG as well as what are the major factors that are either supportive or not supportive to women from participating in the public sphere breaking the traditional boundary and their role. There is very low representation of women in CF executive committee in PCFUG in Sandhikhark VDC-3, where almost all of women are considered as the general member. There is no clear provision about percentage representation of female in their constitution. Usually CFUG's male member makes almost decisions and used to take advantages of low access of women in any portfolio by influencing on participation, information and decision-making. Different women focus groups also said that there are very low participations of female in assembly and meetings but male member decide on behalf of them. About half of them concurred that their opinions are not always incorporated into CFUG's decisions. Over all female members (executive or general) have relatively low access in participation and information of CFUG or general assembly, meetings, discussion and formal or informal sharing and that lead limited access to them especially on the decision making. Women member are very less aware on the important decisions made by CF executive committee and even by general assembly.